MISSED IT BY A LOT: It’s unclear whether Russia followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s movements when a Russian missile landed too close to be comfortable as his convoy, which also carried Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, passed through the Black Sea port city of Odessa on Wednesday. .
“We were completing this presentation and, that is, getting into the cars of the motorcade when we saw the attack,” Igor Zhovkva, an adviser to Zelensky, told CNN. “He was less than 500 meters away from us. ? Nothing can be ruled out with those madmen who strike every and every day and every day, every and every night, in each and every corner of my country. That’s why we can’t rule out the option, which is a delegation from my president or a delegation of foreign guests. “
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed the missile was aimed at a valid military target, a hangar where it said Ukrainian forces were preparing naval drones to attack Russian ships, such as the one that sank the Sergey Kotov on Tuesday night. Ukrainian officials said five other people were killed in the attack on “port infrastructure” when the missile landed about 500 meters from Zelensky’s motorcade.
“We saw the attack today. You can see who we’re dealing with. They don’t care where they attack,” Zelensky said afterward. “I know there are dead and wounded. First and foremost, we need to protect ourselves. The most important thing a productive way to do that is to have an air defense system. “
RUSSIAN MISSILE STRIKE NEARLY KILLS ZELENSKY AND NATO ALLY
RUSSIA CONTINUES TO SLOWLY GAIN GROUND: “Russian forces continued attacks aimed at expanding around the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which Russia seized in May 2023,” the British Ministry of Defense said in its latest intelligence update. “Its forces have complexes to occupy the eastern parts of the village of Ivanivske and are attacking Ukrainian positions in Bohdanivka. “
“Russia’s immediate operational objective is almost de facto to capture Chasiv Yar, located about five kilometers from the front line,” the assessment said, concluding that it is “highly unlikely” that Russian forces would attempt a full-scale attack on the city. . »
Meanwhile, a separate assessment by the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War says the commander of Ukraine’s base forces, Lt. Gen. Oleksandr Pavliuk, is drawing up plans for “unspecified counteroffensive actions” with the aim of “stabilizing the front line while degrading Russian forces. “
Pavliuk claimed that Russian forces were looking to maintain maximum speed of offensive operations in the direction of Chasiv Yar, but said they were suffering significant losses and predicted that Ukraine could stabilize the front line in the near future, according to the ISW.
UKRAINE STILL WAITING FOR AMMUNITION: As the European Union and other Ukrainian allies race to send Ukraine artillery shells promised a year ago, the blocked $60 U. S. aid bill continues to force Ukrainian commanders to ration their dwindling supplies.
“Persistent delays in Western security assistance will likely slow Ukrainian efforts to regain the initiative across the theater of operations,” the ISW concluded. operational planning. “
“Delays in aid will force Ukraine to make difficult decisions about how to allocate resources between operationally important long-term counteroffensive operations and ongoing Ukrainian defensive operations against Russian attackers who lately have the initiative. “
UKRAINE’S AID ON SPECIFIABLE GROUND AS HOUSE LAWMAKERS STRUGGLE FOR THE WAY FORWARD
Good morning Thursday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Jamie McIntyre, senior editor of the Washington Examiner National Security (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Stacey Dec. Send an email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read existing and subsequent issues on DailyonDefense. com. If registration doesn’t work, please email us and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to stay with me on Threads and/or X@jamiejmcintyre
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WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY: President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address at a joint congressional consultation in the House of Representatives at 9 p. m. , followed shortly after by a Republican reaction from Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL).
“President Array . . . will discuss the historic accomplishments he has brought to the American people and his vision for the future,” the White House said.
“You’re tasked with getting the job done, building an economy that works for the people who lead, and improving the lives of families,” Biden said on social media. “Tomorrow I will report to you on our progress and chart a course for you. “Go ahead. “
“My administration has accomplished more in three years than many presidents have done in eight: from investing in infrastructure and lowering physical care prices to abolishing unwanted fees, making the wealthy pay their fair share, and fighting for women’s reproductive health care. “Biden said in a preview of his words. ” That means reducing the value of prescription drugs for each and every American, relieving student debt for hard-working borrowers, restoring women’s right to choose, and banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. “
STATE OF THE UNION 2024: BIDEN PLAYS THE “RETRIEVAL” – WHAT TO KNOW
TRUMP SAYS HE WILL FACT-CHECK IN REAL TIME: On his social network Truth, former President Donald Trump announced plans to counterschedule Biden’s speech with a livestream in which he would question Biden’s claims of success.
“I’m pleased to tell you that tomorrow afternoon we will livestream, piece by piece, the State of the Union address of the corrupt Joe Biden,” Trump said in the afternoon. “I will correct, swiftly, all erroneous statements, especially related to the border and its militarization by the Department of Justice, the FBI, the Attorneys General, and the District Attorneys, to attack their political opponent, ME (something that has never been done before in this area). Country!)”.
“We’ve already done it once with great success: breaking all records. It is the country that must understand the TRUTH! Trump boasted of his trademark taste for random capitalization and creative punctuation.
STATE OF THE UNION 2024: TRUMP WILL ‘CORRECT’ BIDEN’S LIVE ‘PLAY-BY-PLAY’ SPEECH
ALSO TODAY: REVIEW OF THE U. S. WAR The Senate Armed Services Committee is holding what is a regime hearing this morning on the budgetary wishes of the U. S. African and Central Commands. for the next fiscal year.
But with the appearance of the four-star commanders of the two commands before the commission, the failure of the United States and its coalition partners to prevent Houthi attacks on foreign vessels in the Red Sea can be expected to be one of the most sensible decisions by the senators. Concerns.
As the U. S. continues to carry out “self-defense” measures against Iranian-backed Houthi drones and missile launchers in Yemen, Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have gone undeterred and have become fatal for Yemen. At the time, a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile “hit a Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned bulk carrier. “
“The missile hit the shipment and the multinational team reported 3 killed, at least 4 injured, 3 of them in critical condition and injured in the shipment,” U. S. Central Command said in a press release. “The team has abandoned the shipment and coalition war envoys have intervened and are assessing the situation. “
“This is the fifth [anti-ship ballistic missile] fired through the Houthis in the past two days,” CENTCOM noted. “Two of those ASBMs hit two transport vessels: the M/V MSC Sky II and the m/v True Confidence. – and an ASBM shot down via the USS Carney. “
Army Gen. Michael Kurilla, commander of CENTCOM, and Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, commander of U. S. Africa Command, will testify at 10 a. m. m. La hearing will be webcast live on the Pentagon and committee websites.
HOUTHI ATTACK KILLS FIRST KNOWN DEATHS
THE MINIBUS HAS LEFT THE STATION: After vowing never again to bundle appropriations spending into giant “omnibus” legislation, GOP members in the House had to give in to the reality of passing legislation in a divided Congress and approved six budget expenditures that had been combined into a $450 billion “minibus” to avoid a partial government shutdown tomorrow.
The minibus, which will fund the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Interior, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Commerce and Energy, was approved by a vote of 339 to 85, with 207 Democrats participating, proving once again that Republicans cannot pass a law in the House with Republican votes alone.
The bill now stands before the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has vowed to deliver it to the president’s desk in time for Biden to signal and trigger a shutdown. The deadline for the next six bills, which include investments for the Pentagon, is March 22.
AN HONOR TO THE DEDICATION OF DESIRE: I must admit that I am a little envious of my Washington Examiner colleague, Tom Rogan, who has been bestowed an honor comparable to the Nobel Prize or the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Rogan, the Washington Examiner’s online editor and foreign policy editor, earned the difference for his writings on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assassination attempts, his war in Ukraine, his blameless life, and in particular some of the bridges between Russia and Russia. He wants to contribute his war effort. As a result, Rogan was placed on a terrorist list and an arrest warrant was issued against his arrest through the Russian Ministry of Defense.
“I suppose the purpose of this arrest warrant, which comes after my inclusion in the Russian terrorist database two weeks ago, is twofold. First, to intimidate me,” Rogan writes in an essay today. The current purpose of this arrest warrant is to intimidate other Western journalists into preventing reporting that upsets the Kremlin. »
“But it probably won’t work with maximum users,” Rogan writes. “Like many sleuths far more important than myself, Ivan Golunov, Anna Politkovskaya, Bellingcat, and Clarissa Ward have shown that investigative journalism is critical and cultured. “
You can read Rogan’s essay at the link below, and I mention that his boss and mine, the editor-in-chief of the Washington Examiner, Hugo Gurdon, is also listed as a terrorist in Russia.
It is an honour to be sincerely desired.
REVIEW: I guess the trip to the Hermitage Museum is over
THE SUMMARY:
Washington Examiner: Russian Missile Strike Nearly Kills Zelensky and NATO Ally
Washington Examiner: Houthi Attack Leaves First Known Deaths
Washington Examiner: House Passes First Appropriations Bills Before Deadline Closes
Washington Examiner: Aid to Ukraine Fragile as House Lawmakers Struggle to Move Forward
Washington Examiner: Gallagher Says Bipartisan TikTok Bill Is a Ban
Washington Examiner: Former Google Engineer Accused of Stealing AI Secrets for Chinese Companies
Washington Examiner: Gaza Ceasefire Talks Continue, But Progress Appears Hard to Reach
Washington Examiner: Opinion: I guess the trip to the Hermitage Museum is over
Washington Examiner: State of the Union 2024: Trump will ‘correct’ Biden’s speech play-by-play
Washington Examiner: State of the Union 2024: Biden Plays with ‘Contraction-Flation’: What You Want to Know
Washington Examiner: Russia Considers ‘Helping’ Forced Separatists in Moldova
Bloomberg: Biden to seek 1% increase in 2025 defense budget under cap
Washington Times: China Builds New Generation of Mobile Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles
AP: U. S. diplomat criticizes China for using coercion, intimidation in asserting maritime claims
Reuters: China Escalates Zone War to Wear Down Taiwan, Defense Report Says
Defense news: India plans to spend $3 billion on space. Will it be able to catch up with China?
Politico: Iran’s proxy attacks on U. S. troops in Iraq and Syria decline as Red Sea warms
AP: Pressure mounts on Israel to open more routes to Gaza by land and sea as hunger worsens
Breaking the Defense: Why Sending a U. S. Navy Hospital Ship to Gaza Would Be Very Difficult But ‘Not Impossible’
Wall Street Journal: Gaza Talks at a Dangerous Point
Washington Post: Israel’s War Zone Is Flooded With U. S. Weapons
Wall Street Journal: Ukraine enters a new phase of war with Russia: dig, dig, dig
Navy Times: Marine Drone Boosts Ukraine’s Morale as It Hunts Russian Ships
AP: Few Americans want the U. S. to get more involved in the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, AP-NORC poll finds
Air Force Times: Space Force Reimagines Training and Operations as Conflict Escalates
Air and Space Forces Magazine: Acquisition Reformers: Pentagon May Achieve ‘Quick Wins’ in Multi-Year Review
National Defense: Fiscal Year 2025 Deployment Sidelines Missile Defense Agency and ‘De-Emphasize’ Day
SpaceNews: Planet Labs Awarded a Contract with the U. S. NavyU. S. Navy for Maritime Surveillance in the Pacific
The War Zone: The Pulsejet Drone Is Flying and Could Have a Big Impact on the Cost of Future Weapons
Breaking the Defense: Lawmakers Pressure Military Aviation Leaders to Cancel FARA
Defense One: The Army Funds New Chip Designs for the AI Age
Washington Post: State Department Urges Haitian Prime Minister to Resign
Air
Air and Space Forces Magazine: Link 16, Laser Comms, Bonus Release “At Least One”: 2024 Heats Up for SDA
DefenseScoop: Pentagon Office of the Inspector General Shares New Details on Its Ongoing Evaluation of CDAO Effectiveness
Air and Space Force Magazine: B-52 and B-1 bombers fly over Stockholm with Gripens
19fortyfive. com: Military Forces in Ukraine: A Necessity Beyond Negotiated Agreements
19fortyfive. com: How Western Troops Can Be Sent to Ukraine Without Triggering World War III
The Cipher Brief: America’s Food Supply Has a Cyber Problem
The Cipher Brief: The Cat-and-Mouse Game to Prevent Drone Nightmares
THE SCHEDULE:
THURSDAY | MARCH 7
7:30 a. m. 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW – McAleese and Associates’ 15th Annual Advocacy Programs Conference, with (in order of appearance) Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), member of the House Armed Services Committee; Gabe Camarillo, Deputy Secretary of the Army; Andrew Hunter, Under Secretary for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics of the Air Force; Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George; William LaPlante, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Maintenance; the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General David Allvin; Nickolas Guertin, Undersecretary for Research, Development and Procurement of the Navy; Rep. Robert Wittman (R-VA); the Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro; Chief of Naval Operations, Resp. Authentication Lisa Franchetti; Lieutenant General Heath Collins, director of the Defense Missile Agency; the Deputy Chief of Space Operations, General Michael Guetlein; Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA); and Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall https://mcaleese. com/
9:00 a. m. HVC-210, U. S. CapitolU. S. Embassy — House Select Committee on U. S. Strategic CompetitionU. S. and Chinese Communist Party: “Rise at Play: The U. S. Bioeconomy and National Security”U. S. ” https://selectcommitteeontheccp. house. gov
9:00 a. m. , 1800 Presidents St. , Reston, Va. — GovCIO Media
9:00 a. m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW – Hudson Institute Discussion: “Rising Expectations for the U. S. -Japan Alliance,” with former Japanese National Security Advisor Shigeru Kitamura; Marine Corps Brigadier General James Wellons, Deputy Deputy Commander for Programs and Headquarters; Sugio Takahashi, political director of Japan’s National Institute for Defense Studies; and Kenneth Weinstein, president of Japan at the Hudson Institute https://www. hudson. org/events/growing-expectations-us-japan-alliance
9:30 a. m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies Virtual Discussion: “What’s Happening in South Korea?With Scott Snyder, director of the Council on Foreign Relations’ U. S. -Korea Policy Program; Sue Mi Terry, Senior Advisor, Macro Advisory Partners and Mark Lippert, President of CSIS Korea https://www. csis. org/events/whats-going-south-korea-capital-cable-89
10:00 a. m. 216 Hart — Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing: “U. S. Central Command’s Stance on the Rise of the Armed Services Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against the Elimination of Discrimination against the Elimination of Violence and Discrimination against the Elimination of Discrimination against TU. S. Africa Commandin considering the request for defense authorization for fiscal year 2025 and the defense program for years to come,” with testimony from the Marine Corps General. Michael Langley, commander-in-chief of U. S. Africa CommandU. S. Secretary of State and Army Gen. Michael Kurilla, commander of U. S. Central Command. http://www. armed-services. senate. gov
12:30 p. m. —Atlantic Council Virtual Discussion: “Special Operations Forces in the Age of Strategic Competition,” with Christopher Maier, Under Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict https://www. atlanticcouncil. org/event/special-operatives-Effective
2:2141 Rayburn — House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Hearing: “Presidential Power to Secure the Border”https://judiciary. house. gov/committee-activity/hearings
2:30 p. m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Forces Military Personnel Subcommittee Hearing: “Department of Defense Surveillance of COVID-19,” with testimony from Lester Martinez Lopez, Under Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, and Shauna Stahlman, Senior Epidemiologist for Epidemiology and Analysis in the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division of the Defense Health Agency http://www. armedservices. house. gov
4 p. m. 1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Discussion: “Assessing Western Strategy in Ukraine in 2024,” with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna https://carnegieendowment. org/2024/03/07/evaluating-west-s Ukraine-Ukraine Strategy
4:30 p. m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW – Discussion at the Hudson Institute: “Helping America’s Frontline Allies: The Israel-Ukraine Perspective,” with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a member of the Hudson Society, and Michael Doran, director of the Hudson Center for Peace and Security in the United States. Middle East https://www. hudson. org/events/aiding-america-frontline-allies-view-israel-ukraine
9 p. m. House of Representatives, U. S. Capitol: President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address at a joint congressional consultation.
9:30 p. m. —Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) hands over Republican government to the country after the president’s State of the Union address.
FRIDAY | MARCH 8
TUESDAY | MARCH 13
7:15 a. m. 2425 Wilson Blvd. , Arlington, Va. — U. S. Army Coffee Series partnership with Gen. Charles Hamilton, commanding general of the U. S. Army Materiel Command. https://www. ausa. org/events/coffee-series/ gen-Hamilton
MONDAY | MARCH 18
7:15 a. m. – U. S. Army Coffee SeriesU. S. Army, with Army Budget Officers Kirsten Taylor, the Army’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Plans, Programs and Resources; Maj. Gen. Mark Bennett, director of the Army; and Maj. Gen. Joseph Hilbert, Director of Force Development in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Resources and Plans https://www. ausa. org/events/coffee-series/mg-bennett
TUESDAY | MARCH 20
10:00 a. m. —Counter Extremism Project Webinar: “Cruel and Unusual Punishments: How the Houthis Target Women, Journalists, and Religious Minorities,” with Edmund Fitton-Brown, CEP Senior Advisor; Nura al-Jarwi, President of the Association for the Protection of Raped Women and Survivors of Houthi Prisons; and Hans-Jakob Schindler, Senior Director of the Countering Extremism Project at CEP https://us02web. zoom. us/webinar/register